Yoel Romero vs. Ronaldo Souza
The first round began and they touch gloves. Jacare blocks a high kick. This could end at any moment. Jacare lands a right. And a right hook. Jacare lands a right to the body. 4:00. Crowd singing. Romero mostly just dancing. Jacare left to the body. Blocks a high kick. 3:00. Romero lands a left, more with the wrist than anything. As Rogan comments. Romero lands a short left. 2:00. Romero drops him with a spinning backfist, oh shit. Stands over him, goes to a knee. Big right hammerfist. Guard. Left elbow, escapes a triangle, half-guard, three big lefts, another, a right and left. A left. Guard. A right, left. A right, left, left elbow. A left, two more, a right, a left. A left. 1:00. Two left elbows, two lefts. A left, right. Jacare goes for a triangle. Romero escapes. Two big lefts, 35. A right, left. Left elbow. A left elbow, another, three more. Jacare goes for an armbar, oh shit, Romero escapes. Gets the back. 15. Two big rights under. A right under, R1 ends, 10-9 Romero, wow. Jacare is very slow to stand up.. Wow. He wobbles back to his corner. Holy shit that spinning backfist was fucking beautiful in the replay. Jacare's corner tries buying time pouring water on him, Rogan says "Not this again," referencing Romero's fight against Kennedy and what was known for a while as 'Stoolgate.' R2 began. Jacare seems dazed still. Romero front kicks the body. Oblique kicks that knee. 4:00. Rogan thinks it's likely Jacare is concussed. Jacare lands a right, Romero sprawls a single, Jacare stuffs a trip, they break. Rogan respectfully calls Romero an 'athletic freak.' 3:00. Romero defends an ankle pick, grabs the fence, wow. Clinch. Romero works a trip, Romero grabs the fence. Romero lands on top, Jacare protests, the ref Marc Goddard stands them up, boos, time called. Apparently Romero had grabbed the fence. "You got top position because of it, I took it away, do it again and I take a point." Best ref out there. They continue standing. 2:00. Romero lands a left, eats one to the body. Jacare does seem recovered as Rogan comments, Romero lands a body kick. He seems a bit tired though. Jacare lands an inside kick and a big right. Romero stuffs a single. Jacare lands a right to the body. 1:00. Not a bad strategy to go to the body. Romero moving a lot less indeed. Some boos. Romero's mouth wide open. 35. Jacare front kicks the body. 15. Romero lands an inside kick, that hurt. Jacare limping. R2 ends, 10-9 Jacare IMO. Romero breathing hard. Gets another warning from Goddard. R3 began. Romero lands a body kick and a crisp left. Jacare front kicks the body. And a leg kick. Romero goes to a knee, almost eats a high kick. That was weird. 4:00. Romero lands a jab. Romero lands a front kick and a straight left. Romero lands a good inside kick. Romero stuffs a single. Jacare lands a good body kick. Jacare checks an inside kick. Romero lands a right uppercut left straight combo. 3:00. Romero lands a left elbow, eats a body kick. Jacare lands a good right, that hurt. And a right uppercut,a right, a right uppercut and a right, works a double. Jacare gets it, crowd roars, half-guard. Thinking arm triangle. Two rights. Another, 2:00. Thinking arm triangle. Lefts to the thigh lol, weird. Right elbow, another. Two hard rights. Knees the body twice. Two hard rights. Another, another. More to body. 1:00, with a right. Head body with another two. 35. Jacare working to pin the arm. 15. Romero stands to the clinch. Jacare smiles. R3 ends, 10-9 Jacare, 29-28 Jacare IMO, good fight. Rogan says it depends whether R1 was 10-8. They hug kneeling in the center. Good respect shown. Romero lifts Jacare's Brazilian flag up. Nice. Decision time. 29-27 Romero, 29-28 Jacare, 29-28 split for.... Romero. What the fuck? Romero collapses on all fours emotionally, very happy. "I respect Jacare because he took a very hard punch to the face and kept coming." Always a weird translation situation with Romero. Romero said he thinks the decision was definitely right. "Joe, I am ready," he says when asked about Weidman and Rockhold.